Chapter 8
Ji Ting: [Nice dress.]
When Yu Xi saw this, she was shocked: [Oh my god, is that the dress I went with you to buy?]
Ji Ting: [Yes, I only wore it once.]
Yu Xi: [Oh no, I really thought it looked great at the time and I even tried my best to encourage you to buy it. How could this happen?]
Ji Ting: [Maybe I gained weight.]
Yu Xi: [Weight gain? You’re perfectly fine even if you gain seven or eight pounds. I think maybe too many people tried on this dress before, or maybe this brand is just not as good anymore. But you spent quite a bit on it, should we go back to the store and see?]
Ji Ting: [Forget it, it’s too much hassle.]
Yu Xi: [True, it’s been so long.]
Yu Xi: [So where did it tear? Did anything embarrassing happen? Just thinking about it makes me embarrassed.]
Ji Ting flipped through the dress, paused, and replied to Yu Xi, saying nothing major happened, and she made it home in time.
Yu Xi felt relieved on her end.
Then, Yu Xi sent another message, saying: “In a while, I’ll bring someone to your store.”
Ji Ting knew immediately that she was bringing a blind date prospect. She replied, “Okay.”
She glanced at the men’s coat nearby, which wasn’t Tan Yucheng’s; it was probably his colleague’s.
She picked up her phone and opened the black profile picture.
Ji Ting: [Your coat is washed. Come pick it up.]
Tan Yucheng: [Okay.]
Ji Ting glanced at the chat page for a moment before putting down her phone. As for the dress, although it wasn’t cheap, Ji Ting decided to tidy up and throw it away directly. She also made a mental note of the brand to avoid it in the future.
The next afternoon,
Ji Ting received a call from Qiu Dan at the store. Qiu Dan said her dad was off today and was preparing a special meal, so she asked her to invite Tan Yucheng to join them. Ji Ting hesitated for a moment before agreeing.
Shortly after, she opened the black profile picture and sent him a message.
He replied quickly.
Tan: Sounds good.
Ji Ting knew he meant it was a good opportunity to enjoy her mom’s cooking.
After putting down her phone, it was almost time, Ji Ting informed Zhang Yang and handed over the store to them before leaving early.
Back at home, Qiu Dan was clattering in the kitchen, chopping spare ribs, while Ji Lindong was helping shuck corn on the coffee table.
As soon as Ji Ting entered, Ji Lindong said, “Daughter’s back! Quick, I’ve washed some strawberries for you.”
Ji Ting put down her car keys, picked up the strawberries, and started eating. Then, she went over to the kitchen to see Qiu Dan. Qiu Dan was preparing soup and turned to her, “You’re back?”
“Yeah, do we need to buy anything else?” Ji Ting leaned against the door frame and asked.
“No need, come help your dad shuck corn. We’ll make some corn cakes for you later,” Qiu Dan shooed her away. Ji Ting returned to the living room. Ji Lindong is guarding the corn, and lets her sit and watch TV.
Ji Ting knew she couldn’t help anymore.
She sat directly on the sofa, picked up the remote, and started watching variety shows. Ji Lindong finished shucking corn and went to help deal with the crabs. He also cut some melon for Ji Ting, who couldn’t finish it, so she arranged it nicely on a plate.
When the dishes were almost ready to be served, the doorbell rang.
Ji Ting clapped her hands and stood up to answer the door. Outside, Tan Yucheng was wearing a black shirt with a black casual jacket and black pants. The hallway lights in the old community were dim, making the doorway seem a bit shorter, and the light was blocked, creating a hazy atmosphere.
His jacket was unbuttoned, revealing the collar of his shirt, adding a hint of charm.
The lighting and the situation inexplicably reminded her of last night’s scene.
With his hands in his pockets, Tan Yucheng glanced at her. “Hmm?”
Ji Ting snapped out of her thoughts and stepped aside. “You’re quite punctual today.”
“When am I not punctual?” Tan Yucheng replied, placing a bottle of wine on the coffee table and calling out to Uncle and Auntie.
Qiu Dan responded from the kitchen with an “Alright, coming!”
Ji Lindong picked up the bottle of wine and examined it. Tan Yucheng sat down beside him and asked, “Uncle, how is it? Your sharp eye.”
Ji Lindong put down the bottle and nodded. “Good wine. We’ll drink this bottle tonight.”
Tan Yucheng chuckled. “Great.”
Ji Ting went into the kitchen to help with serving the dishes. The square table was soon filled with a variety of dishes. Ji Ting tied up her hair, revealing her slender neck. Tan Yucheng took off his jacket, leaving only a shirt on, rolled up his sleeves, and pulled over a chair.
Ji Lindong chose two highball glasses, pouring wine into them as he said, “This wine, you have to drink it with highball glasses to fully appreciate its flavor.”
“Uncle really knows how to drink.”
Tan Yucheng reached out to take the chopsticks handed to him by Ji Ting. Across the table, Ji Ting was also wearing a shirt today, but in apricot color, with a slightly open collar, revealing a heart-shaped necklace hanging between her collar and her skin.
Under the bright light, Ji Ting’s fair skin was dazzling.
Qiu Dan wiped her hands and walked out, taking off her apron and sitting beside Ji Ting. She asked, “Is Yucheng busy lately?”
“Quite busy.”
“Even if you’re busy, you should eat well and rest properly. Don’t exhaust yourself,” Qiu Dan advised.
“Understood.”
Tan Yucheng nodded.
Ji Lindong raised his glass to toast with Tan Yucheng, and they drank and chatted together. Ji Lindong enjoyed wine tasting, and Tan Yucheng was skilled in it, so they always had a good time chatting.
Qiu Dan, on the other hand, leaned closer to Ji Ting while eating and quietly asked, “How are things going with Lu Hai?”
Ji Ting paused with a bite of food, “It’s okay, still getting to know each other.”
“Hmm, I heard your dad say he’s really nice.”
Ji Ting thought about it and nodded in agreement.
Qiu Dan felt relieved.
She glanced at Tan Yucheng and asked, “And you, Yucheng, any girls you like recently?”
Tan Yucheng was sipping his drink. Hearing this, he subconsciously glanced at Ji Ting. She also looked at him. Tan Yucheng probably knew it was his mother who sent Qiu Dan to ask this. He put down his glass, lips curling slightly, “No, Auntie.”
“You shouldn’t be too picky. If you really don’t want to bother looking for one yourself, just tell your mom to help you find someone,” Qiu Dan suggested tactfully.
Tan Yucheng chuckled, picking up his chopsticks, “Okay, I’ll think about it.”
It was clearly a way to evade the question, but Qiu Dan had no choice. He wasn’t her son, so it was hard to say too much. It was just a few years ago that Xiao Xi mentioned he was seeing someone, but in the past couple of years, it seemed less likely. Yet now that he was of marriageable age and still not dating, it was a cause for concern. That’s why Xiao Xi asked for her help.
Qiu Dan leaned close to Ji Ting’s ear and asked quietly, “Is he really not seeing anyone?”
Ji Ting raised an eyebrow, looking at the man across the table.
He was listening to her father speak.
She thought of the beautiful and enthusiastic Meng Jia and wondered if she counted as someone he was seeing.
Ji Ting whispered to Qiu Dan, “I don’t think Auntie needs to worry about him.”
“What do you mean? Is there something going on?”
Tan Yucheng’s gaze swept over, and Ji Ting sat up straight, shaking her head, “No, nothing for now.”
Then, she lowered her head to pick up her chopsticks and eat.
Qiu Dan glanced at her daughter, then reluctantly picked up a piece of meat for her, “Eat more meat, you seem to have gained a bit of weight recently?”
“I haven’t gained weight, I’m still the same.”
When Tan Yucheng heard this, his gaze fixed on her face. Ji Ting blushed at the mention, suddenly kicking his foot under the table. Tan Yucheng was briefly startled, then his eyes carried a hint of playfulness.
After dinner.
Ji Lindong had drunk a lot, and so did Tan Yucheng, but they both could handle it. Ji Lindong, after drinking a lot, was very attentive. He was now busy helping Qiu Dan tidy up the table, repeatedly praising her for her hard work. When he first met Qiu Dan many years ago, he was just a shelf stocker at a supermarket, and Qiu Dan was an accountant at a soil company. His circumstances were such that many people didn’t look favorably upon him.
However, Qiu Dan was willing to give him a chance. After they got married, he tried opening a convenience store. It was not cost-effective to hire people in the store, so Qiu Dan gave up her stable job and joined him in running the store.
From a small 40-square-meter convenience store to more than 1,000 thousand square meters now, with two branches, and they even had a beautiful and talented daughter together. Qiu Dan was more important to him than his own life.
Ji Lindong was usually very clingy to Qiu Dan, and after drinking, he became even more so, calling her “wife” in the kitchen.
After feeding Ji Ting and Tan Yucheng a lot of dog food, they both retreated to the balcony, away from the lovey-dovey scene. There wasn’t much wind tonight, and the weather was dry. Tan Yucheng leaned against the railing with his collar slightly open, while looking through the balcony glass at the cozy living room with three bedrooms inside.
Ji Ting was leaning slightly against the railing. Her long hair cascading over her shoulders, with the ends slightly curled. Her eyelashes, which she had curled in the afternoon, were still in that shape.
Tan Yucheng took out a pack of cigarettes, his fingers with distinct joints picking one out and then pushing it back in, as if playing. He spoke casually, “Why is it still like that? Didn’t you burst your strapless dress?”
Ji Ting’s body stiffened, and she turned to look at him.
Tan Yucheng smiled and raised his gaze, putting the cigarette in his mouth and taking out a lighter. With a click, the flame lit up, and he slightly lowered his head to ignite the cigarette.
Without any surprise, Ji Ting kicked him again, and his eyes held an even deeper smile.
After retracting her foot, Ji Ting leaned back against the railing again. “I’m not afraid of getting fat. What’s wrong with being a bit chubby? It’s healthier.”
Tan Yucheng chuckled and nodded in agreement.
Inside the house, Ji Lindong’s singing could be heard. He was singing Zhang Yu’s “For You”: “It must be a special fate for us to become a family after walking together all the way. How much I love you, how much you owe me, searching for the possibility of happiness…”
He even changed the lyrics.
Qiu Dan was very helpless, muttering, “It was embarrassing” and that his singing was really awful.
Ji Lindong chuckled and followed into the kitchen to help with the dishes. Qiu Dan finished washing her hands and walked out, carrying a plate of fruit to the balcony, opening the door. At this moment, the sound of a car stopping downstairs could be heard. Ji Ting recognized it as Lu Hai’s car and remembered her appointment with him tonight. She turned to look at Qiu Dan.
Qiu Dan also noticed and smiled knowingly. She said, “Go ahead.”
Seeing Qiu Dan’s smile, Ji Ting blinked. She glanced at Tan Yucheng, who had just glanced downstairs. Lu Hai was rolling down the car window, looking in their direction. Tan Yucheng diverted his gaze and locked eyes with Ji Ting.
Ji Ting said, “I almost forgot about my appointment tonight. I’ll head out now.”
Tan Yucheng nodded, still biting the cigarette.
Under Qiu Dan’s smile, Ji Ting sidestepped out, grabbed her phone and car keys from the coffee table, and told Ji Lindong, who immediately poked his head out of the kitchen, “Drive slowly and call Dad when you get home.”
“I got it.”
Ji Ting opened the door and went out. Along the way downstairs, Lu Hai got out of the car to open the door for her. She bent down to get in, and Lu Hai glanced up while Qiu Dan lowered her head and waved to him. Lu Hai seemed a bit nervous as he waved back, then composed himself and got into the driver’s seat calmly. The white car slowly started, reversed out of the alley, and drove onto the main road.
Tan Yucheng took the cigarette out of his mouth and casually placed it on the railing, casting a glance at the departing tail lights.
He looked at Qiu Dan. “Auntie, I’m heading back too.”
Qiu Dan responded, following Tan Yucheng off the balcony. “Call for a designated driver, Yucheng.”
“Okay.”
He grabbed his jacket and opened the door to leave.